


Final Flame

by KairosK28



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Battle, Character Death, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Other, Post-Battle, Post-War, Sad, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:20:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29817276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KairosK28/pseuds/KairosK28
Summary: Alternate version of Sozin's Comet's airship scene and post-war.
Relationships: Aang & The Gaang (Avatar), Aang/Ozai (Avatar), Aang/Sokka (Avatar), Aang/Suki (Avatar), Aang/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & The Gaang (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Toph Beifong/Sokka
Kudos: 16





	Final Flame

Heat lapped at the atmosphere, sweat dripping down Sokka’s struggling arm. He exhaled a hoarse groan, his dislocated leg growing more numb by the second. _Don’t let go. Do not let go. Her life is in your fingers._  
Toph’s widened, sightless eyes were spilling with tears, her finger’s fighting to contain hooked with Sokka’s. The warmth of flames surged up below her. _It looks like this is the end._

Toph’s throat grew dry, the breath escaping her lips a mixture of smoke and pain. Her hand grew white, the muscles in her fingers trembling. “We’ll never get out of this,” she breathed, her thick fringe blowing around her face.

They were utterly surrounded by masked soldiers, their bodies stilled, and hands positioned. _Sokka needs to escape. Alive. He has his father and sister. They’ll be wanting to see him, triumphant after the war. And…_ Toph felt her fingers slipping. _Suki._ She lowered her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her hand began to flow with the warmth of her blood, the skin growing relaxed as she wiggled out of her and Sokka’s grasp.  
  
Sokka panicked, thrusting his head over his shoulder, teeth clenched. Toph slipped and in an instant, Sokka grabbed her wrist. “Stay with me, Toph.” His tone was throaty, desperate, sad.

“No, Sokka.” She sobbed quietly, quenching her unseeing gaze, “please.” She struggled to twist loose. His hold was too anguished, it hurt. Both mentally and physically.  
Suddenly, a spit of fire shot just past Sokka’s nose, and in a panic, he gasped, the security in his grip grown loose. _Their attacking!_ “I’m so sorry, Sokka. I’m so sorry.” Toph let go.

  
Sokka give an anguished scream, tears seeping down his face in a flurry. With a heave, he pulled up his arm and struggled to his feet, giving a stumble as his leg protested in pain. _Soldiers. Soldiers. Soldiers._ Struggling to swallow the rising grief in his throat, Sokka barged forward into the soldiers, not knowing what he was doing. He knocked down a few, giving them square punches under the chin out of fury. “You killed Toph! You killed _Toph_!” He shouted, words flailing from his lips. Suddenly, firing knuckles met his cheek and he staggered across the floor, pain scorching his jawbone. Soon, his world engulfed in a flaming darkness.

Toph fell freely, the air a mixture of heat and--- _peacefulness?_ Eyes drifting close, she fell.

Flashes severed her thoughts of what could’ve been.

She, Sokka and Suki returning to the Gaang after Ozai’s defeat, wolfing all in a group hug. Everyone laughing victoriously, enjoying Iroh’s tea as the breeze grew soothing on a new era. _The first and last Metalbender of her time._ Pain groveled in her throat. Then, the feeling of her hand across his, admitting her feelings. She sighed longingly, emotions failing to cooperate.

Toph felt the wind swerve on her back roughly. The ground was near. In a moment, swampy water ingulfed her, a ringing buzzed in her ears, until all faded to nothing.

  
  


The flames of the forest died down, Aang fumbling on his knees as Ozai lay defeated in front of him. He didn’t _finish_ the job. Ozai was now just now permanently powerless against anyone, bending stripped. Aang drew In a breath, closing his eyes and focusing on someone’s particular radiating energy. _Sokka’s._ He was tied up, tired. _Where’s Suki and Toph?_

Catching a few steady inhales, Aang stood up and looked over to Ozai who was crumbled on the ground. “I’ll be re right back. I need to save someone.” And with that, fire shot from his heels and he lifted himself into the sky, reaching forward to the parked blimp.

  
Aang landed on the curvature of the aircraft, dusting off his clothes in a few hasty seconds. Suddenly, the wind whistled loudly above. Aang raised his head, watching, astonished, as another blimp crashed overhead, and there a familiar figure tumbled from the top, landing in a roll-on top of the current blimp. _Suki!_ Suki reached for Aang, wonder in her eyes. “Did you—” Aang cut off her enthusiasm, “we need to rescue Sokka first.” She furrowed, concentrated, then nodded.  
Aang opened the hatch, ducking in. “Toph, too. She was with Sokka,” she mentioned, entering after Aang. Aang winced, _I can’t feel her energy anywhere, though._

It was easy to deal with the remaining soldiers. Aang gave a finishing blow to the final opponent as Suki untied Sokka’s knots. The Kyoshi warrior pulled her boyfriend into an embrace once the ropes were loose, giving him two or three quick smooches on the cheek. She then widened her eyes, grabbing Sokka’s wrists and letting him lean on her. “Where’s Toph?” she whispered.

Sokka screwed his eyes shuts, the edges of his lips twitching into sobs. “She saved me.” The verge of tears and shock struck Suki’s face.  
Aang whipped around, bones like jelly. _No. No!_ Aang shouted inaudible words, turning back around and staring out at the smoking woodland below them. _This is all of his fault. He shouldn’t have been a coward all of those years ago and ran away from his people. He could’ve prevented the war. She’d still be alive. Oh, he wishes he hadn’t even pleaded and pleaded to her to be his Earthbending teacher._ The air blew softly around the remaining blimps, the cackling of final flames dying out as Suki guided a balling Sokka against her shoulder. _Oh, how the world would cope._


End file.
